Bowling Towards a More Inclusive Game With Pitch It Up

Taverners Australia has donated 4 x Pitch It Up Machines

Taverners Australia has donated four Pitch It Up bowling machines to the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association, trialling how simple and accessible equipment can help more people build their skills, confidence and enjoyment of cricket.

For Taverners Australia, supporting cricket is about far more than what happens at the elite level. It is about creating opportunities for people of all abilities and backgrounds to pick up a bat, develop their skills and experience the enjoyment and connection that comes with being part of the game.

In support of that mission, Taverners Australia has donated four Pitch It Up bowling machines to the Melbourne All Abilities Cricket Association (MAACA), which supports disability cricket teams across metropolitan Melbourne.

The machines will initially be trialled across a number of teams over a six-week period, with feedback helping to determine whether they could have a broader role within disability cricket programs in the future.

Pitch It Up machines are designed for domestic and training use and can deliver a ball at speeds of up to 40 kilometres per hour. They can operate via battery or electricity, making them portable and relatively easy to introduce into different training environments.

But it is their consistency that could make them particularly valuable within all abilities cricket.

The machines deliver a soft ball in a controlled and predictable way, allowing players to know what to expect with each delivery. This can create a more comfortable environment for participants to practise their batting, develop hand-eye coordination and build confidence at their own pace.

For some players, removing the unpredictability of a traditional bowling delivery can make practising the fundamental skills of cricket more approachable and enjoyable.

It also allows coaches and volunteers to repeatedly deliver consistent balls without requiring another player to bowl, potentially giving participants more opportunities to practise during each session.

Putting the machines to the test

Rather than simply providing the equipment, Taverners Australia and MAACA are using the initial donation as an opportunity to understand its potential.

The four machines will be distributed among disability cricket teams across metropolitan Melbourne and trialled over approximately six weeks.

The participating groups will then provide feedback on how the machines have been used, how players have responded and where they have delivered the greatest benefit.

Those insights will help inform whether similar machines could potentially be introduced to a broader range of disability groups and cricket programs.

It is a practical example of how relatively simple initiatives can help remove barriers to participation.